Archive for: Media Database

If the rising summer heat has you happy to stay indoors this weekend, try out a new hobby with help from Claire Donavan of Heart Handmade UK. Crafting doesn’t have to be too complicated, as Claire shares tutorials and mini-courses that won’t take up too much energy but will result in something pretty cool. Unless it’s inking calligraphy while on a new Chaise Lounge – leave that craft to the experts…

What keeps you passionate about craft and blogging about it?
Craft has been the one constant in the past 13 years that has been great for my mental health. The fact that I was able to deal with a mystery illness that ended up being a rare genetic disorder (which we didn’t discover for eight years), experiencing a brand new seizure disorder, years of hospital visits, tests, becoming bed bound then housebound…

Crafting and creativity is the light that shone for me and continues to shine. Blogging about it is my way of sharing my skills and contributing to society through my business. It’s part of a great coping strategy that also ends up decorating my home in the most stunning way. I’m physically unable to do a lot of things, but I can make stuff and do it well. Why would I not cultivate that passion!?

How have you had to change your approach to blogging, or your content, during the COVID-19 crisis?
My approach hasn’t really changed since I’ve kind of been in lockdown since 2009 and the skills people wanted to learn during that time were all on my site. Either through tutorials, list posts or mini-courses, as everything I do is fairly low energy/high ROI and almost all indoors.

Do you think those who took up knitting/sewing/other traditional crafts during lockdown will continue now it’s being relaxed?
Some will, of course, some will have found it to be incredibly relaxing and others may have found it an intensely frustrating experience.

One craft you’d love to master but haven’t quite managed it yet?
Dip pen calligraphy. After an incident with some hot pink ink and a custom-made Chaise, I haven’t returned to dip pen calligraphy. But I love it; the style is breath-taking. Those upstrokes always caused problems but I’m able to do it on the iPad now so I may venture back to dip pen calligraphy at some point.

Favourite crafty ideas you’ve shared on your blog?
There are a decades’ worth on there! I’ve created a lot of crafting templates, craft magazines and tutorials as well as having some expert guests sharing their favourite projects. My favourite craft is quite possibly the Ping Pong Polka Dot Party Lights I created using Sharpie paint pens.

How important is it for people to pay crafters and artists for what they create?
It’s incredibly important. If anyone does work, they deserve to be paid in some way. Whether it’s the reader of the free tutorial who really enjoyed it and ‘pays’ by sharing or clicking on an ad that interests them, or a brand who wants to collaborate, with a budget included. Either way, folks should be compensated if they make things for you that you use and enjoy.

How do you collaborate with brands and which kind of brands do you really like working with?
I create a photo or video tutorials or even collaborate by having something like a year-long Pinterest marketing campaign by creating a tutorial a month and sharing the collage on Pinterest to my 1.2 million followers.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you and with what kind of content?
If PRs want to get in touch with me, I prefer personalised emails instead of PR blasts (which I automatically delete). If they want me to do something specific, reach out, say hello, tell me what is coming up and what you would love for me to do with that information. It saves us both a lot of time and makes work much easier for us both, and helps to avoid disappointment.

Kids craft and creative content is always popular with my readers; if promoting a new book, instead of sending me a copy to review, create a guest post with an example project from the book and I would happily add it to my site.

What other blogs do you check out regularly (whether craft-related or not)?
Mostly industry-related blogs like RankMath, Neil Patel and Skimlinks. A few crafty/arty blogs I enjoy are EasyOnTheTongue, KerryMayMakes and ZiniaRedo.

If you’re already missing the expert baking on display during the course of this year’s Bake Off: The Professionals, don’t despair – Jane Dunn is here with more treats at Jane’s Patisserie. Whether or not the delights of Dalgona coffee and banana bread have drawn you in during lockdown, this blogger has something you’re bound to like – check out her advice for getting a cake-making kit together, her top-tasting recipes and the best things about being a baking blogger.

What keeps you passionate about baking and blogging about it?
Every day I get sent emails, tagged in photos on social media and so on of people baking my recipes with their family, children, friends and more. It’s magical to see people enjoy something together, and if my blog helps that then it’s even better. I am always here to help people with their baking queries, and the good that comes from it is amazing.

How have you had to change your approach to blogging, or your content, during the COVID-19 crisis?
As more and more people started baking, there were more questions around recipes to answer – substituting ingredients due to shortages, recipes for people with little equipment as they are new to it, easier recipes for kids to get involved with and more. I’ve reduced the recipes I am producing to focus more on engaging with followers to help them out!

Have you tried any of the recipes that have gone viral during lockdown?
I think one of the only ones I have tried is the Dalgona Coffee trend as my husband LOVES coffee and I wanted to see what I could do with it. It’s so tasty!

What the worst bake you’ve ever attempted to make?
Probably the worst thing I have ever baked was my first attempt at a vegan meringue – it was absolutely inedible! I’ve cracked it now, but it took it’s time.

Best tasting thing you’ve ever made?
My NYC Chocolate Chip cookies are by far my favourite recipe I’ve ever made – they have been SO popular since posting, and I have made them countless times as I just love them so much!

For those who haven’t yet started baking, which basic tools would you suggest they stock the kitchen up with?
Weighing scales, cake tins, and basic tools such as spatula/whisk – and if they can, even the cheapest electric mixer can make things so much easier.

Favourite TV chefs?
I love so many but Nadiya Hussain, Juliet Sear, Tom Kerridge and Mary Berry are favourites, of course!

How do you collaborate with brands and which kind of brands do you really like working with?
I love to collaborate with brands that I genuinely love and adore. I don’t do it that often, but I love creating recipes with the brands I use in my daily baking anyway. Whether it’s just social media work, or a full recipe post, I love it to be authentic!

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you and with what kind of content?
I personally find email the best way to contact me as you can get all the info in one place and it’s much better – DMing on social media is an easy way for me to miss it, which is unfortunate. If they have a great idea that they need inspiration for, or they know what they want already, I am up for having a chat to see if it will work!

What other blogs do you check out regularly (whether baking-related or not)?
I love Alice Fevronia, My Kitchen Drawer, Biscuit Bases and SO many more!!

‘We can’t speak for the LGBTQ+ community, but we believe allyship is all about standing up for those people who need you, even when they’re not around’ – today’s Spotlight is on Kelly and Zoey of Our Transitional Life, a blog aiming to ‘challenge society’s misconceptions, one day at a time’.

Sharing life as a transgender family, Kelly and Zoey don’t shy away from the bigger issues happening in the LGBTQ+ community – read on for what they’re doing to support the BLM movement, what they love most about blogging, and their take on some of the viewpoints recently shared by a certain author of popular children’s books…

How did you originally get started with writing about LGBTQ+ issues?
When Zoey came out in 2019, we didn’t plan on talking about it on the blog that Kelly was running back then. But as time passed, we realised two things. One, there weren’t many positive stories out there about trans relationships, and two, we wanted to own who we were as a couple and family. Soon after this ‘epiphany’, we started Our Transitional Life, a name that was inspired by Zoey describing her transition as ‘our transition’.

What’s your favourite thing to post about (updates, reviews, advice pieces) and why?
Our favourite things has to be events! We love meeting other people, and it’s always such a joy to meet people face to face. Blogging can be solitary, so hanging out with people at blogger events/theatre/launches, etc. is one of our favourite things to do.

How have you had to change your approach to blogging, or your content, during the COVID-19 crisis?
We have spent a lot more time online doing lives and chatting to people compared to writing blog posts, and that’s been a lot of fun. We’ve had more time to really get to know our online community, and for that, we’re very grateful.

Have you been covering the intersection of race and LGBTQ+ issues on your blog?
As we’ve said, actual blogging has been quite quiet, while we spend time on social, and also educating ourselves and our children more about the BLM Movement. With regards to ‘coverage’, we took part in #AmplifyMelanatedVoices, sharing content from black creators for a week, and not sharing our content at all. We continuously strive to share important information, and we did have our say on the ‘she who shall not be named’ issues surrounding trans rights. We’ve also started a new business, KelZo Jewellery, and we have a PRIDE range with 20% of profits going to LGBTQ charities.

What is one thing you wish straight cis people would take on in their day to day lives to be better allies to LGBTQ+ people?
A lot of the straight cis folk we know do everything they can to help support the trans communities, in fact, we’d go as far to say that it’s the people that don’t want to learn or change that are the problem. Our focus is to educate and support, but we’re always learning too. We can’t speak for the LGBTQ+ community, but we believe allyship is all about standing up for those people who need you, even when they’re not around.

Do you think people should boycott Harry Potter books in light of JK Rowling’s recent comments on social media?
That’s a tough one, and we recently recorded a vlog about supporting the work of disgraced celebs, from JK to Weinstein and beyond. We didn’t really come to a conclusion as a couple, but our followers had a lot to say, and it was a super important topic to talk about, and keep talking about. I do think buying her books now would be off the cards for us, as well as promoting anything to do with anything she is part of, but that’s our decision, and you have to be comfortable with yours.

How do you collaborate with brands and which kind of brands do you really like working with?
We have a weird time with brands. We don’t fit the ‘normal’ family stereotype, and some brands want a cis, white, straight family, end of. So, when brands reach out to us, we can’t help but feel lifted up and seen by them, and I know the LGBTQ+ blogger community get excited when brands work with other LGBTQ+ bloggers!

We offer lots when it comes to brand work, from video to written content, as well as social sharing. We go above and beyond for each brand, because we are super proud of our work, but we’re also super honest about products or events. We love working with brands who appreciate how hard we work, and who champion the LGBTQ+ community all year round, not just for Pride.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you and with what kind of content?
We tend to focus on email because messages on social media can get easily lost. We’re happy to work with most brands, depending on their ethos and moral standing. We also like longstanding relationships with brands, and love to come up with fun and exciting ways to promote products!

What other blogs do you check out regularly?
Ohhh, we love LesBeMums, Home & Horizon, and any blogs that say it like it is!

Passionate about animals and nature since joining the RSPB’s Young Ornithologists Club 40 years ago, Philip Lymbery shares eye-opening updates from across the world on the treatment of animals and the environment on the Pow Wow Blog.

As conversations concerning pollution, fast fashion and the meat industry got louder while the outside world became quieter during lockdown, Philip has been contributing to the #BuildBackBetter movement with his blogging. Read on for issues Philip thinks we should all be more aware of and the importance of working together to ‘put the birds back in our skies, the insect noise in our fields and the life in our soils.’

How did you originally get started with writing about green issues?
40 years ago, as an avid member of the RSPB’s Young Ornithologist’s Club (YOC), I took part in a project to find Britain’s most common garden bird. I’ve written and been passionate about nature and the environment, ever since. Those early birds shaped my life, taught me to appreciate the natural world and that’s how I came to realise that the plight of wild birds, farm animals and our own well-being, are all intertwined. My formal Pow Wow Blog started in 2017 with my website and I am hugely grateful that Vuelio has ranked it as a top 10 Green Blog for the last three years.

What’s your favourite thing to post about why?
Without doubt, it is to make the world aware of the environmental impact of meat and dairy, particularly from factory farms. Factory farmed meat and dairy is responsible for devouring nearly half the world’s grain harvest and nearly all its soya – it comes with a huge cost. Deforestation, pollution, climate change and destruction of wildlife. All of that grain, which gives back a fraction of the calories and protein in meat, milk and eggs, could have fed more than four billion people. We must end our broken food system and the industrial farming of animals. It is the greatest form of animal abuse on the planet; it destroys the natural world and it’s also a breeding ground for disease.

Have you had to change your approach to blogging, or your content, during the COVID-19 crisis?
Yes. I found that there has been a real appetite for COVID-19 related news and blogs. During lockdown, everyone was more active online and I published a series of pandemic blogs and video diaries covering every aspect of the story – from the wet wildlife market in Wuhan, to the need to #BuildBackBetter and renew a stronger relationship with nature and our environment. In addition, I was able to draw the important parallel between the caging and confinement of wildlife as a source of new viruses, with the cruel practice of factory farming.

What are some of the environmental stories/issues happening at the moment that you’d wish more people knew about?
We know the solution to so many of the challenges facing us are to be found in nature. We need to work together towards a better future for our environment and put back the birds in our skies, the insect noise in our fields and the life in our soils.

For those who are just getting into greener living, what are three small changes you would recommend people start with?
It’s not difficult because we can all make a difference through our food choices, three times a day on our plate. And that’s by eating more plants and choosing meat, dairy and eggs from pasture fed, organic and free-range farms. We urgently need to replace factory farming with a food system that respects animals, nurtures our planet, and reduces the risk of pandemics.

Will the growth of veganism continue?
Yes. Food culture and the place of meat within it is changing. We now have a wide choice of vegetable-based alternatives for traditional meat, and the dominance of dairy, too, is being challenged by plant-based competitors with ‘milks’ made from oat, almond, soya or coconut. Whatever dairy could do, plant-milks now do too and seem to be elbowing their way to ever more shelf space.

The reasons however, that people may be moving to a vegan diet may differ. It may be for environmental reasons, or because they care passionately about the welfare and sentience of animals, or indeed for their own health benefits.

What advice do you give to other bloggers about the ways to keep an audience engaged, despite sometimes having to share upsetting news and facts?
I have found that it is absolutely key to have a good blog title and main image to attract attention and encourage the reader to click through to the main blog story. Likewise, content must be relevant and topical for the audience to keep them engaged e.g. during the pandemic lockdown, COVID-19 articles were highly popular for obvious reasons, almost to the exclusion of everything else. However, not everyone wishes to see pictures of suffering, be it human or animal, so I have always tried to show images that don’t offend but help add some drama and depth, to the overall blog story. I have also found it helpful to peg to certain ‘special days’ in the year.

What are the most important things you wish your audience to take away from your green blogs?
To understand that each and every one of us has the power to make a difference on this planet. It may be small, but by working together we can make a real impact. This could be an individual behavioural change, such as eating more plant-based foods, or signing a petition.

Last Autumn, I was thrilled to be in Brussels along with other NGO leaders, supporters and MEPs to celebrate achieving a record-breaking European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) petition and inspiring a continent to stand up for an end to cages. We amassed 1.6 million signatures on the petition, sending a resounding message to the European Commission that cage cruelty must stop. It was a landmark event only made possible by single individuals taking action and signing the petition.

What other writers do you check out regularly (whether green-related or not)?
I tend to check those opinion leaders in the environment sector, like George Monbiot at The Guardian and others who have a powerful voice for the need for a new regenerative food system and for nature, like Chris Packham, Inger Anderson (executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme) and Gunhild Storladen of the EAT Foundation.